Dragon's Claws

They stood and stared agog at Draco. "W-whut?" Ron stuttered. Draco smirked triumphantly. "Are they gonna get detention then?" Ron managed.

Draco laughed. "You bet they are," he sneered. "Speaking of which—Potter, Midget—Professor Snape wants to see you…"

"How did he know?" Harry whispered.

"Come ooon," Draco grinned. "He's waiiiiting…"

"You were acting a bit dumb last night," Falda said imperiously.

"Was I?" Draco drawled. "Blundering around a bit? Looking dim?" Falda nodded. Draco shrugged. "I was tired. O well."

"Neville," Bella said quietly as Harry gently took his sister by the hand. "I heard you, ok? I'll ask Professor Snape what he knows."

"Ok," Neville said softly. "U-um, tell me if he hurts you, ok?"

She nodded as Harry took her away.

"Good luck!" the rest called.

"I'm more nervous for Harry," Hermione said. Ron nodded anxiously.

"How did you know?" Harry pressed Draco. "How did you know we were out there?"

"I heard you," Draco said smugly.

"B-but," Bella said. "We—we kind of were silent…"

"Nope. Not even since you were invisible," Draco said lazily. "I heard you. In the entry hall."

"Aren't you lying?" Bella said primly, chin in the air. "You are. You do that a lot."

"Nope," Draco snapped. "I didn't lie. I heard you. I did."

"Wait, Crabbe was in the entry hall—did he tell you it was us? How could you say you heard us then?" Harry said, suspicious.

"O, he didn't tell me he saw you," Draco said cunningly. "He only told me he hated pretending to understand my essays. Fat lot of trash he added at the end, too."

"Wait, what?" Harry said.

"So did he see us then?" Bella asked. "Or were you hiding above somewhere?"

"No, I was right by the door. I knew it was you because I recognized your voice, Bella," Draco said smugly. "You told Harry I was there."

Bella gasped, understanding. "Polyjiuce."

"Err, what?" Harry said, confused.

Draco whirled around, grinning. "I asked Dad for some, thinking I might need it at some point. Turns out, I was right! And guess what, I didn't want to trust Crabbe with looking for you guys, so we switched places. Falda was watching Crabbe! I only picked him because he's a bit smarter than Goyle."

Bella nodded. She knew he was right about Goyle. She made a mental note to tutor him a bit if he would let her. Crabbe to, while she was at it.

Bella quietly explained what polyjiuce potions was to Harry on the rest of the way to Snape's classroom. Draco was smug the whole way, saying 'sorry I ruined your day' in a mocking sort of way as Harry understood that as one of Snape's favorites, Bella was more protected than he was. In fact, Harry felt that he (along with Griff) was Snape's least favorite student. His head of house liked Bella much better. Of course he likes her, she's so nice, Harry thought, smiling a bit.

"O professor," Draco said happily as they came to the door. He opened it grandly, marching in. He puffed out his chest, quickly shooing Harry and Bella to get in so Lily, who happened to pass by, wouldn't hug him.

"So Draco," Snape said, standing. "what evidence do you have that these students were actually out of bed?"

"Um," Draco started, looking pensive. "Well," he said carefully. Bella looked like she desperately wanted to say something.

"What is it," Snape said, seeing her.

"He was out in the entry hall," Bella blurted.

"That was—that was—" Draco tried. Bella smirked up at him. Did he have the guts to lie to his favorite teacher?

"Crabbe?" Bella purred. "Wasn't it, Harry?"

"No, it was Draco, who looked like Crabbe," Harry said quickly. "Polyjiuce."

"What's that?" Draco spluttered frantically.

"O really," Snape drawled soft and deadly, black eyes hard on Draco. "Are you deliberately lying to my face, Malfoy?" Draco turned pale. "Only yesterday were you boasting that you almost had the recipe memorized. And besides, I saw Crabbe in your guise in the common room, I knew instantly it was your blundering friend—nothing escapes me, boy…"

Draco gulped. Bella grinned smugly.

"Detention for you too, I think," Snape said coldly.

"B-but, professor," Draco wailed.

"None of that," Snape snapped. "Now off to your days. You have a fun little trip into the forest planned tonight I think…"

How could the day possibly go well for them? Harry desperately hoped Snape wouldn't go with them—he couldn't think of anything worse than going out into the forest with Snape at night. Well, actually, Bella dying would be worse. And Draco complaining the whole way would also be on the list. Speaking of which, the boy was whining about everything now. Bella was the only one who seemed calm, reminding them that the forest can't be that dangerous if they make students go there for detention.

Harry couldn't shake the feeling things were going to be inevitably worse for him.

Night came. The three trudged to Hagrid's house, as instructed. Draco, this time, was boasting, not griping. Harry wasn't quite sure which was worse.

"Just so you know, I'm on Dad's side on this whole dragon egg thing," Draco drawled. "I finally decided."

"Why?" Harry groaned. "So you're working against us then?"

"Yup," Draco said confidently. "It's ok though—you guys are half bloods, but Dad is smart. He knows what he's doing. Maybe he'll let me help! I'm a big boy now! I bet the plot is super brilliant!"

Bella sighed. "Really now, Draco," she grumbled. "do you, like, want to become a Death Eater?"

"I-That would be so cool," Draco sighed. "Sad you're not my sister anymore. I bet you'd make a brilliant Death Eater too."

"Oi," Harry snapped. "She's not gonna be a death eater! Not if you're gonna be!—what is a death eater?"

"Why you guys talking about that sorta stuff," Eustace yawned in front of them. They could all tell he hadn't gotten enough sleep lately. His hair was messier than usual, and there were dark circles under his eyes. They stopped.

"You ok?" Bella said in concern as Draco scoffed at Eustace.

Eustace shrugged slowly. "I guess," he muttered, then yawned again.

"Alright then," Hagrid said. "I found this Eustace bloke." He nodded at Harry and Bella. "Kinda didn't want to do this, but what choice 'ave I got—"

"I-I'll go in with them!" a panicked looking Eustace piped up suddenly.

Hagrid frowned down at him. "Ya sure?" he said skeptically. "Ya know yu'r tired."

"So I didn't exactly sleep last night," Eustace sighed. "But look, it's partially my fault, ok? I have to go in the forest with them."

Hagrid looked confused. "But I should go!"

"O great," Draco said, not so quietly. "So I get to go with one oaf or another into a forest, with two half bloods. That's real safe."

"You have business, you said," Eustace said cunningly.

Hagrid rumbled, thinking. "Alright, fine," he said. "Ya got me! Take Fang with ya, why don't ya? An' stick together, too."

"R-right," Eustace said, clutching the lantern Hagrid had just given him in a white fist. The odd shadows cast by it made his face look more scared. "Err, come on."

Slowly, they crept into the forest. Very little moonlight straggled through the trees. Whatever little bits did were eerie green from the leaves. Bats fluttered around them. Calls and cries from who-knows-what echoed in the night. Harry kept a hand on Bella's shoulder and his wand out. He had to be sure nothing ran by and snatched her up. Draco was too scared to complain. He clung to Bella, whimpering.

"Don't be scared," Bella said calmly.

"How are y-you not scared?" Draco said, quivering.

"I'm not scared of death. Eustace!" she called. "why are we even here?"

"All we're d-doing is looking for a flower that only opens at night," Eustace stammered.

"Mystic Nightshade?" Bella guessed.

"That's it," Eustace muttered. "Uh, it's flowers are white. They glow slightly too—"

A dragon jumped out of the shadows. She was long, thin and orange. She stood on her hind legs and roared.

Eustace fell back.

"Behind me," Bella ordered calmly. Wands out, Draco and Harry stood behind Bella.

"What we gonna do?" Draco wailed. Bella flicked her wand. A ball of green sparks flew out. They did summersaults and loops in front of the dragon.

"Everybody, fall back!" Eustace screamed, voice high pitched. The dragon's eyes turned to him. She flared, growling. Eustace took Fang's collar and tried to run. Bella made her sparks shoot in front of the dragon, then around her head, confusing her. The dragon tried to bat them away.

"We have to go!" Eustace howled. "Her nest is not too far from here! HAGRID!"

"Nest?" Draco whispered. "Nest—"

The dragon pounced.

Shooting forward with the speed of a basilisk, Bella shoved Eustace out of the way best she could.

The dragon pinned Bella to the ground instead. She shrieked once as the claws tore her shoulders.

Harry and Draco screamed.

"HAGRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIID!" Eustace gasped, while Fang frantically barked hard.

"GET OFF HER!" Draco shrieked, and lunging forward, tried his best spell on the dragon. She hissed and recoiled, Harry's spell smacking her face aside. She glowered at them, looking even more deadly.

Eustace grabbed Bella's wand off the ground, (he was so tired he forgot to bring his own) as Hagrid crashed through the trees.

"It's BELLA!" Harry screamed.

Draco was moaning, "Bella, Bella…" pelting the swiftly angrier dragon as hard as he could.

"OI YOU!" Hagrid roared at the dragon. "YOU can't go around hurtin'—Norbert!"

Norbert launched through the bushes and clung to the female dragon. Purring, she spared a glare for Eustace, and took Norbert away with her. Bella lay forgotten. Draco and Harry ran to her.

"That must have been her baby," Eustace said faintly. Hagrid, though crying for Norbert, gently picked Bella up in his arms.

"Come on, come on!" Harry urged. Draco was crying too, and couldn't say anything.

Lumbering swiftly, Hagrid ran with her to Hogwarts. Harry and Draco ran faster than they ever had before to keep up with him.

They burst through the front doors. A grim silence came over those who saw Hagrid's red-stained bundle. Hermione gasped when he passed.

"O Bella, don't die," she pleaded.

There was nothing for it but to move as fast as they could. Hagrid ran ahead with the urgency, but Draco and Harry fell behind. Slowly, in a wide corridor, with many students following behind, Draco and Harry slowed. They couldn't keep up. Bella's life was in Hagrid's hands.

Harry found himself put an arm around Draco's shoulders.

Slowly, they continued the walk.

She couldn't die. Please, don't die…

"This would happen a lot at home," Draco gulped. "She's used to almost dying."

"Awful," Harry whispered. How horrible to be used to almost dying. The agony, the fear—Harry couldn't imagine it.

Hagrid got to the hospital wing long before Harry or Draco did.

"My baby!" Anwen gasped, running. "I take my job as mother very seriously," she murmured, ruffling through supplies swiftly.

She tended as fast as she could to her daughter. Harry and Draco came in, slowly, as they hoped she was not gone.

"We don't have any blood replenishing potions right now," they heard Anwen say grimly.

They could hear Hagrid sniffling. Draco and Harry stared at each other a second before breaking into another run. Cautiously, as though she might die with any sudden movement, they skirted the curtain separating Bella from the next patient. They could tell where she was from Hagrid's bulk.

Her shoulders were bandaged. She lay, limp and pale.

Like all those other times she lay under the shadow of death, Draco found himself holding her hand. All the other times, he had been mean to her before, but when she lay on the line between life and death, he would only hold her hand out of sympathy. His parents never asked him to. He would whisper the things his parents did. He was only scared of how depressed his parents would be if she died.

This time was different.

This time, his parents weren't here. This time, he didn't know if his parents would be horribly sad, but he would.

For a long time, they stared sadly at her. Harry soon left. Draco didn't.

Bella somehow looked so peaceful. As though accepting death, as though prancing under death's shadow was ordinary. As though she could quietly slip away, leaving them all, with not so much as a single tear.

It hurt his heart so badly, breathing was hard, and his chest was tight…

Hagrid removed his hat, just in case.

Draco's vision was so blurry he couldn't see. He needed to be sure she didn't die.

He gently kissed her head. Forcing himself to let go of her hand, he dried off his tears. He had to do something—he couldn't just stand idle. He was thinking up a plan already.

Draco stole into the hospital wing at nine o' clock that night. He had avoided Peeves. He had avoided Snape. He felt rather solemn coming up to the bed of a dying girl in a black cloak that hid him from anyone who could stop him. He felt almost like he was at a funeral, coming up to see the body in the coffin…What if that happened for real?

There was nothing he could do to help her. But he had to keep watch, to make sure she didn't die. He couldn't bear the thought of waking up in the comfort of his bed, only to find she had gone. His vision swam in tears. The idea was too excruciating to think about. They had gone through her under death's shadow too often. It was more painful to see her quietly accept her likely fate than it had been to see her wail in fear and agony.

How frail her little life seemed. He had always been too young, too unwilling to understand, but this time he felt he understood perfectly…

Gently, he found himself tuck her hair out of her little face. He couldn't be as serene as she was. The very air around him was grim and foreboding, Bella the only thing that seemed to be in any peace.

"Don't die," he whispered.

He kept watch. It felt like hour after hour. She didn't show any signs of life or death. She seemed to be hovering, clinging to her last shred of life.

If only there was some way to cure this hemophilia. Then he wouldn't have to go through this, she wouldn't have to either…

I shouldn't have to go through this, he wailed in his head. What could he do? The empty space of the hospital wing somehow felt suffocating, like he was helplessly trapped in something intangible that he couldn't escape.

Then he remembered—his parents had made her keep a blood replenishing potion in her bag! Harry had brought it in when Draco was gone apparently, because it lay on the side of the bed. Snatching it, he rooted frantically through for the bottle. Upon finding it, he realized with a sinking feeling there was only a tiny bit left…

Would it be enough? He unscrewed the lid and gently poured the last trickle in her mouth. He set the empty bottle on the dresser next to them. He had done the only thing he could.

His back was aching. He laid down slowly. She was so tiny there was enough space for him. He went on his side, so he would still see her. He couldn't let her out of his sight for a second.

Her eyes gently fluttered open. She turned her head slightly. Their eyes met—they were the same color.

"Don't you dare die," he sobbed.

"You're making me cry," she whispered faintly. "D-Draco. I love you, ok?"

Draco cried harder.

There was a tiny hand under his head, feebly drawing him closer to her. He gave in, wrapping his arm around her and snuggling so he could be sure he felt her heartbeat.

He wasn't going to give her up, not yet.